1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a microwave oven, and more particularly, to a microwave oven in which a microwave is used for cooking food.
2. Background of the Related Art
The microwave oven is a cooker having a magnetron for generating, and directing a microwave to cooking material, to cause molecular movement therein, that generates a heat for the cooking material. Recently, a microwave oven is developed, which has a function of the cooker itself, as well as a function of ventilator that removes heat, gas, and smell for food from a gas range or gas oven range. Such a microwave oven is in general placed over the gas oven range, to call such a microwave oven as OTR (Over-the-Range) type microwave oven. An outer structure of the related art OTR type microwave oven will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, briefly.
Referring to the drawings, a top and sides of the microwave oven is enclosed by an outer case 1. The outer case 1 has fastening holes 2 and 2xe2x80x2 for coupling a vent grill 7 to be described below. The fastening holes 2 and 2xe2x80x2 are provided with fastening screws 3, and 3xe2x80x2 for fastening the vent grill 7 thereto. There is a door 4 in a front surface of the microwave oven for selective open/closing of a cooking chamber I inside of the microwave oven. The door 4 has a hand grip 4xe2x80x2 for opening/closing the door. There is a control panel 5 on one side of the door 4. The control panel 5 is a part for conducting various operation of the microwave oven.
In the meantime, there is a long vent grill 7 in an upper part of the front surface of the microwave oven fitted in a lateral direction. In view of a hood combined with a microwave oven, the vent grill 7 provides ventilation between inside and outside of the microwave oven. The vent grill 7 is an inlet of air for cooling an electric fitting room, or air supplied into the cooking chamber, or an outlet of air discharged from inside to outside of the microwave oven.
There are fasting pieces 8 and 8xe2x80x2 at both sides of a rear surface of the vent grill 7 each having a fastening hole 9 for screwing a screw 3 or 3xe2x80x2. The vent- grill 7 is in general injection molded, and-the fastening pieces 8 and 8xe2x80x2 are not provided with a structure, such as boss, for fastening the fastening screws 3 and 3xe2x80x2, due to an injection molding characteristic.
The vent grill 7 is position at upper part of the front surface of the related art microwave oven when the vent grill is fitted to the outer case 1, such that the fasting holes 9 in the fastening pieces 8 and 8xe2x80x2 are matched to the fastening holes 2 and 2xe2x80x2 on the outer case 1 for fixing the vent grill 7 to the outer case 1 by screwing the screws 3 and 3xe2x80x2 through the outer case 1 and the fastening pieces 8 and 8xe2x80x2.
In the meantime, before the vent grill 7 is put on the upper part of the front surface of the microwave oven, clips (not shown) are inserted to the fastening pieces 8 and 8xe2x80x2 on the vent grill 7.
However, the related art microwave oven has the following structural problems.
The pre-fitting of the clips to the fastening pieces 8 and 8xe2x80x2 required for assembly of the vent grill 7 before the fastening screws 3 and 3xe2x80x2 are screwed is a cumbersome work. The separate fabrication of the vent grill 7 with subsequent assembly to the upper part of the microwave oven requires a complicate management and assembly, and a high production cost. Moreover, the separate fabrication of the vent grill 7 with subsequent assembly to the upper part of the microwave oven causes gaps with the door 4 or the control panel 5 due to an assembly tolerance, or deformation during use of the microwave oven, that results in a poor outer appearance.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a microwave oven that substantially obviates one or more of the problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
An object of the present invention is to provide a microwave oven which requires no separate assembly of the vent grill and simplifying a front structure of the microwave oven.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, the microwave oven includes a main frame both of a cooking chamber and an electric fitting room having a plurality of vent holes in an upper part of a front surface thereof, a door in the front surface of the main frame for opening/closing the cooking chamber selectively, a control panel in the front surface of the main frame in front of an electric fitting room, and a vent grill part formed as a unit with the door or the control panel so as to be spaced from vent holes in the front-surface even if the door is closed, for communicating air inside and outside of the microwave oven.
The vent grill part includes a louver at a position opposite to the vent holes in the upper part of the front surface of the main frame.
The foregoing microwave oven of the present invention minimizes the number of components, and gaps between components fitted in a front surface of the microwave oven.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.